Best known for his long-running role as Grey's Anatomy's "Doctor McDreamy," Dempsey will be seen in a new light come August 28 when Velocity airs Patrick Dempsey: Racing LeMans. The four-episode show follows Dempsey as he prepares for and then competes in the 24-hour race in LeMans.

Why would a well-paid TV star want to risk his career, and life, in a race car? "I just love it. I've loved it since I was a kid. You're really testing yourself. You're going into your own fears and anxieties…And certainly the sense of fellowship and camaraderie. That's what I love the most."

He loves it despite the danger, but that doesn't mean he ignores the danger. "Everybody thinks about it. Production thinks about it, my family thinks about it. After this clip, my insurance agent will think about it."

In Racing LeMans, Dempsey expresses his passion for racing with an enthusiasm that may lead some to wonder if he still has a passion for acting. " It's a different sort of passion. I'm an actor, so that's my profession…Racing is more of a discovery. When you're in a long running show, there's less discovery."

"I'm not necessarily bored with the show….But I'm not the creator, I'm not the writer. This I can create. It's a trade, quite honestly, and that's OIK ... You find ways to turn yourself on with the material you're given ... You learn your lines and you try to be present and not get caught out acting."